Penny Pinching Sabres Need to Save Some Players For A Change

If you are a Buffalo Sabres fan, you should feel happy that the team is not owned by someone who will be going bankrupt any time soon. What you should not be happy about is the way ownership is going about business to ensure no significant losses.

Tom Golisano, the Sabres owner, has certainly done all he needs to do to save a few dollars. In the meantime, his methods have begun to alienate the loyal fanbase of the team.

In the last year or so, major pieces of the team like captains Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, top blueliner Brian Campbell and goaltender Martin Biron left or were shipped all in order to save money. The loss of this significant chunk of leadership was a key reason the Sabres missed the playoffs this past season after finishing near the top of the standings in the first two post lockout seasons.

The players were willing to stay, were willing to take less and wanted to be part of a team that looked close to competing for a Stanley Cup. Instead they are gone and the Sabres now are left to basically start over and climb back up the standings. That will not be easy. The team is not as deep as it once was and there are many other key players on the verge of leaving themselves. That will put a further dent into a team that lost a bit of its identity when the top players departed.

Things may get even worse as time goes on. The Sabres best player, Ryan Miller is due to become a UFA next summer and like the other stars have negotiations turn sour and simply pack his bags and leave. Also, Jason Pominville, the team’s current captain, is due to be a RFA next summer and he could prove to be a tough player to re-sign if he continues his strong play next season. The team, while young and talented, appear to be going backwards with all these departures and difficulties in keeping core players. Sure, they spent big on Vanek and Roy but they had no choice with Vanek due to the offer sheet put forth, and they simply had to keep their other top centre with Briere and Drury gone. They were backed into a corner basically.

All in the name of savings. They even cut costs on the scouting staff, going with video instead of having travelling scouts around the world. Thats simply way too frugal. Good scouting is part of the foundation for building a winner. While the Sabres say this is more efficient, there is nothing that beats seeing a player first hand. Sometimes you manage to notice lesser known players through this, many times you find out more information about a player like play without the puck, leadership skills, work ethic that you can really see via edited video. Its a bit of a risk the Sabres are taking.

Hopefully their new age scouting methods will work. We will see if they can take advantage of this in the upcoming draft where the team has 3 picks in the top 50 including 2 first rounders. Defence is something the Sabres may focus on. They have plenty of highly skilled and talented young forwards but they are not as deep on the back end. They certainly used plenty of bodies this season on D, but almost ran out of players to use, so adding more depth is something the team may address. There are some good possibilities like Tyler Myers, Tyler Cuma, Michael Del Zotto, Colby Robak, Luca Sbisa who could be around at 13. The team could use another goalie in the system. With Miller potentially leaving, they are going to need to improve their depth in nets. Someone like Chet Pickard, who was Carey Price’s understudy in junior could be an option with their late 1st rounder or early second. Certainly size is a bit of an issue. The Sabres are rather small, especially up front so perhaps adding a player like Josh Brittain, Jared Staal, Greg Nemisz with one of their picks is something they may look at.

Here is how the team looks heading into the off-season

2008-09 CAPHIT – $38.8 million for 15 players.

Their cap number will go down significantly next summer with Miller, Afinogenov, Spacek and Connolly all due to be UFAs. They are going to need as much room as they can get if they hope to re-sign Pominville and Miller to long term deals. They are going to need to settle on a core group to build with and actually keep them instead of watching them flee year after year. Golisano is willing to spend to some degree, but will he want to spend enough to win or just enough to make money?

The Sabres played it smart this time and moved Campbell out before he became a UFA and left for nothing. Getting Bernier and a 1st for him was solid even if it meant taking a bit of a step back. It is unlikely they will bring back Numminen or Kalinin. Most of their spending will be used to lock up Bernier, Gaustad and Paillie who are all fairly solid young players in Buffalo. Bernier has the potential to be a 25-30 goal scorer perennially and could develop into the sniper the team is looking for. Gaustad is a leader and a key role player while Paillie had a good season and looks to be a strong, gritty two way player that could fill in some of the roles Drury provided the last few years. It will be important for the franchise to actually start to show they are willing to keep good players around.

Under Contract:

Goal – Ryan Miller

This is going to be an interesting year for both Miller and the Sabres. There is no way the Sabres can compete without Miller tending goal. In the next 12 months they are going to need to find a way to get Miller under contract for years to come. He is such an important piece that his departure could mean big problems ahead for the team. He has emerged as an elite goalie and a goalie who simply wins. He could use a more reliable backup. Miller is more effiecient with rest and he simply played too much last season. Thibault could not be counted upon so finding a quality reserve will be a key item on the agenda for Buffalo.

Youth will definitely be served on defence in Buffalo this coming season. The Sabres were ravaged by injuries on defence but managed to find out about some of their good young blueiners. It is likely a couple of them will make the team and join the returning veterans. The team will miss Campbell significantly and need to find someone who can replace his puck moving and offensive ability. Most of their blueliners are mobile and can skate and make a decent first pass. But Campbell was dangerous and they simply do not have anyone ready and able to fill that role right now. Jay McKee, who departed a couple of years ago, is another the team misses. There is a lack of physical presence on the backend. Tallinder and Lydman are good as the shutdown pair, but they intimidate no one. Spacek is willing to mix it up, but he is not big and he is needed more for offense. Some of their young players may be able to fill that role but soon the team is going to need to find some guys who will make life miserable for opponents in the defensive zone.

The Sabres have several dangerous forwards. Roy and Vanek form a very good top line, Pominville provides a foundation for a second unit. Vanek may never live up to the money he makes, but should be solid for 30-40 goals a year. Roy looks better and better each year and has potential to be a strong two way force for years to come. Pominville is their lea
der right now and he continues to amaze. He quarterbacks the point on the PP, kill penalties, plays multiple roles. He is a great role model for the team. If Afinogenov can rebound in a contract year, and Connolly can stay healthy for a change, and with Hecht, Kotalik, the team could have 9 forwards capable of 20 plus goals. Very few have this kind of scoring depth. Stafford looks like the power player the team is looking for. The Sabres are a bit on the small and soft side and players like Stafford, with Paillie will help give the top lines some jam. They could use a big power player and more size, but the Sabres are always looking for speed and skill to fit in to the style they try to play.

Top Prospects

Goal: Jhonas Enroth

Enroth is a very good prospect the team is quite happy to bring along slowly. They did that with Miller and that turned out just fine. A season with the farm team is definitely something the Sabres would like to see. If they lose Miller, the team at least has someone with the potential to take over. They do need more depth at this position.

There are a couple of job openings on defence for some of their prospects to take. Sekera did not look out of place settling into the lineup after Campbell was traded. He brings skill and hopefully the production will come soon enough. Weber might be the big body they need on D. He looked solid as well when he was brought in as an injury replacement. He and Sekera have the inside track on the job openings. Gragnani brings some offensive skill and players like Funk and Card will all provide Buffalo with some depth. But they will need a few more bodies to round out their farm team and parent club as they wont withstand another injury bug like they had last season.

MacArthur and Zagrapans are looking to make the club next season. Their development could make players like Connolly and Afinogenov expendable by the trade deadline. Both have the prerequisites the Sabres look for; speed and skill. Defensively they need to improve if they want to get in the good books of coach Ruff. In the last couple of drafts they have not paid too much attention up front so here they will need to do some replenishing as well.

GM Darcy Regier has endured plenty of ups and downs in Buffalo and having to do more with less is nothing new. He has done a great job at accumulating young talent in Buffalo and now with a rather limited staff, he is going to have to continue this trend. The success of the team depends on it. He has his work cut out for him trying to bring the team back to where it was the previous two seasons among the league’s elite while at the same time abiding by the wishes of his boss, Mr. Golisano. The core has been gutted and Regier will need to replenish the team again, with most of the top young players now playing in Buffalo. The cupboard has been thinned out a bit and over the next while, its time to restock. This draft should provide him with this opportunity.

At the same time, he is going to need to keep the team relatively competitive as the fans have flocked back and began watching the Sabres and the exciting young team they have again. Him and coach Lindy Ruff have build an excellent foundation and brought the stability the team desperately needed about a decade ago. Ruff is one of the best at getting the most out of the least. He adapted well to the rule changes, using his personal to the team’s advantage. He somehow kept the team competitive despite all those players leaving and for that, Ruff deserves full marks.

The team is in capable hands and should be at least solid for quite some time. If the team continues however to lose star players and dip further down in the standings, the fans may stay away, the money may stop coming in and the team again struggling on and off the ice. After being the posterchild for small market teams who benefitted from the lockout, the last thing the NHL needs is for the Sabres to go back to being a flailing franchise. There is already enough of those as it is.

19 Responses to Penny Pinching Sabres Need to Save Some Players For A Change

Golisano is showing that he is becoming the next Bill Wirtz. Regier has to some good players out of the next two drafts mostly a goalie and 3-4 d-men, 1-2 fowards. If Connolly and Afineganov can have a good season dump them as rentals and get some goods young talent and high picks. free up 6-8 million for Miller but if Golisano is to cheap to pay that money than he is the next Bill Wirtz.

Golisano is showing that he is becoming the next Bill Wirtz. Regier has to some good players out of the next two drafts mostly a goalie and 3-4 d-men, 1-2 fowards. If Connolly and Afineganov can have a good season dump them as rentals and get some goods young talent and high picks. free up 6-8 million for Miller but if Golisano is to cheap to pay that money than he is the next Bill Wirtz.

Hold it how does that guy have erik cole If the draft didn't start yet. Anyways no. Id take ovechkin and Malkin over those three any day unless with your 14th pick u can manage to get zetteberg and 27th pick well I don't know maybe Rick Nash or Derek Roy. But i wouldn't take a chance. Stick with the top 3

Yeah right…i wouldn't trade Kronwall straight up for Miller…Wings already have their goalies for the next few years with Osgood and Howard along with the top goalie in the SEL this year Daniel Larsson who was just signed to a contract and will likely replace Howard as the #1 for their farm team next season.. No need to trade for Miller and if they really want him they can just wait to sign him…i doubt Miller ever ends up in Detroit.

Short of absolutely refusing to sign Miller and Pominville will not be going anywhere. Connolly will be allowed to come back and see if he'll ever be healthy again, and either earn a new contract or be let go after next year. Afinogenov or Kotalik will be traded by the deadline next season, if not to move up in the draft next month because the Sabres can't afford both as UFAs. The Sabres are restocking the minors with offensive talent and have plenty of defensive prospects in the system. They don't have a lot of depth in goal yet, and will need a reliable veteran backup for Miller next season.

Kalinin is basically playing his tryout for the Russian Super League at the World Championships, and Numminen will be asked whether he wants to come back or not, if he does the Sabres will sign him another year for a little less than he had been getting. The major defensive need is leadership, muscle, and shot blocking ability, and the Sabres should be looking into UFAs to find that. They may settle on local product Brooks Orpik or pursue veteran Jason Smith to fill that role.

Several players had down seasons in Buffalo, only Roy and Pominville really shined. Hecht had a career year offensively and stepped up as a leader for the team, but they need more guys like him. Andrew Peters has likely played his last NHL game and the Sabres will be looking for a new enforcer who is less embarrassing on the ice.

To clarify the Drury and Briere thing for the final time, this is how I understand it. Briere wanted to stay in Buffalo if the Sabres would pay him more, but the Sabres were looking to keep Drury instead, and let Briere walk. The Sabres didn't know Drury wanted to leave and even matched the Rangers' offer for him, but Drury left anyway. For less than the Sabres were prepared to offer Drury Briere would've stayed, but then they likely are forced to let Vanek go to Edmonton for the 4 1st round pick compensation. Management determined it was better to keep the young star long term than keeping 30+ year old stars for the same time period. That is why they signed Roy to a 6 year deal that he is already earning.

yea, but the point is that as a result of the whole vanek ordeal they appear to be a tad strapped for cash. They wouldn't pay campbell for anything more than 3 years. The situation with Miller and Pominville is still ambiguous because both players have expressed that they want the other to be resigned for the management to prove it wants to be competitive. So if Miller wants 7 million a year, and they aren't willing to pay that, than Pominville might very well sit and wait for an offer sheet. Or conversely, if Pominville wants like 6 million a year (which is probably not too terribly unrealistic), they might decide to let someone nab him and take the 4 first round picks. In which case, Miller would go as well.

i dunno, i suspect that they will talk to their agents this summer rather than next and see what both guys are expecting. than we'll know if they're playing to be traded at the deadline, or playing for new contracts…

Strapped for cash is one thing billionaire Sabres owner Tom Golisano is not. I've also recently heard that the Sabres are raising season ticket prices by 15% for next season. Now this could be further gouging the real hockey town USA, or raising the money to keep players around. Supposedly Jim Balsillie offered to buy the Sabres from Tom Golisano, but he refused to sell to anyone who would want to move the team. That said, there still could be a sale in the works to a new owner committed to keeping the team in Buffalo. Most Sabres fans have no problem with Golisano, its his managing partner moron Larry Quinn that makes us crazy. He's the supposed hockey mind, but he's more of a businessman than a hockey mind, he's the one not giving Darcy Regier anything to work with. Sabres fans would support a stable ownership that keeps the team in Buffalo and has Larry Quinn nowhere near it.

If Ryan Miller wants $7 million a year he'd be the highest paid goalie in the NHL. You'd have to win a Vezina to warrant that kind of money and he's never been a nominee. He should get no more than Lundqvist if even that much, between $5 and $6 million a year which is still double what he's getting now. Pominville will demand around $5 million a year, which is about what he's worth at the most. I'd give it to him too, $5 mil a year for 5 or 6 years. Of course he then faces the pressure of being a full time captain on a big money deal, fans want at least 30 goals from him and around 80 pts, and he has to stay healthy (see Tim Connolly). If you're paying big money to 3 or 4 guys somebody is going to have to go. But we don't know who is gone yet, thats why I figure Afinogenov or Kotalik, if not both will be in new cities by the trade deadline. Spacek could also be traded away if the Sabres are not a playoff contender next season.

To be honest I don't know. Can u tell me how the point system works please:)

Well if u have a chance to snab Stamkos then maybe I wouldn't do the trade. What analysts and evryone are saying about this kid he may be the real deal. If your defencemen aren't a strong then I wouldn't do the trade either. I would stick with Stamkos or doughty